Astateko lepoa

Overview

Astateko lepoa is not a climb you ease into — it is a wall. Over just 5.2 km it averages a savage 15.29%, dragging you from a start elevation of 155 m to a summit at 955 m. That is 800 m of net vertical earned in barely five kilometres, with 727 m of total ascent packed into the effort. Rated HC — hors catégorie, the hardest classification above the numbered 1 through 4 — this is a climb built to break rhythm, legs, and resolve in equal measure. There is nowhere to hide and no shallow ramp to spin out on. The number that defines it is that double-digit average, sustained far longer than most riders ever experience.

How the Gradient Unfolds

With an average of 15.29% held across the full 5.2 km, the defining feature here is relentlessness rather than a single decisive ramp. An average this steep means the road rarely relents below a punishing pitch — there is no valley of recovery baked into the profile. The climb gains 800 m of elevation from bottom to top, and because that gain is compressed into so short a distance, the grade stays brutally consistent from the first pedal stroke to the last. Treat every metre as steep, because on a 15.29% average, it very nearly is. The gap between the 800 m net gain and the 727 m total ascent is small, confirming this is an almost unbroken upward line with little in the way of flat or descending relief.

Pacing Notes

On a climb this steep, pacing is survival. At 15.29% average you cannot surge — every acceleration on a wall like this bites deep into your reserves. Ride at or just below your FTP from the base, because the 5.2 km will feel far longer than the distance suggests, and there is no recovery terrain to bail you out. If you do not know your threshold power, run the numbers through the FTP estimator before you commit, then set a wattage ceiling you can genuinely hold for the full 800 m of climbing. Going into the red early on a 15.29% grade is a one-way ticket to walking. Steady, sustainable, and honest with yourself — that is the only way this one goes.

Gearing

Do not underestimate what 15.29% over 5.2 km demands from your cassette. This is a climb where a 34×32 setup is the bare minimum, and many riders will be grateful for the extra relief of a 34×34. On pitches this steep, cadence collapses fast, and a low bailout gear is the difference between spinning and grinding to a halt. If your bike can take it, favour the 34×34 for the security of a lower floor when the grade refuses to ease. Gear for the steepest sustained section, not the average — because here the average is already ferocious.

Summary

Astateko lepoa is a short, savage HC climb that trades distance for sheer intensity. Come prepared, gear low, and pace with discipline — 5.2 km at 15.29% forgives nothing.

Length: 5.2 km
Average gradient: 15.29%
Max gradient: n/a
Start: 155 m
Summit: 955 m
Net gain: 800 m
Total ascent: 727 m
Category: HC